What are you using for presentations?
Learned that I should be doing slideshows and a review of session photos rather than showing proofs. So I got my slideshowing knowledge together, hooked up a second monitor to my laptop and showed my beautiful slideshow. What wasn't so beautiful was me trying to put the slideshow up on the second monitor and then fumble around trying to move my mouse around the second monitor.I'm looking to upgrade my setup. My 2nd monitor is a flat screen 19". I've seen they make touchscreen monitors, which might be useful for my scenario above. I also have thought about just getting a larger monitor or a LCD TV. I know that a lot of photographers use projection systems - I have a very small studio so this is not an option.
What are using to do your presentations? Anyone try a touchscreen monitor before for presentations? Those of you with smaller spaces, what size monitor are you using?
Jenni,
I can't install a projector either and am using a 32inch LCD which is the perfect size for the room/comfortable viewing.
If you are on a mac you could try using front row :) Load the images into iphoto and set it up, and launch it using a remote / front row. Otherwise preset it all up... and just press play when you are ready to show the client.
lanne
How big is the room your using? If its the size of a small bedroom you can still use a projector. We have always used one. The first room was tiny and later on we put it on a cart to role out and project on a wall.
I always opt for projection over a LCD because I want the images to be shown as big as possible. We use PROSELECT for our slide show and image viewing. It shows the images at their true size on the screen.
I have used Projectorpeople.com for several years. They are very helpful and will walk you through the steps of ordering exactly what you need for your space.
A little more info on my space: My entire studio, including a sales area, is only 480 sq ft. in pretty much one room, with a few walls dividing things up. Tiny, but it's a start and I love my tiny space. With that small of a space, all of my walls are covered with samples, so that's why projections won't work for me right now.
Lanne, with your 32", is that a computer monitor or a TV? Sounds like a TV since I don't think I've seen a computer monitor that big.
I just went to ProSelect and that looks like something I could use and will check into. They have some information on TV/Monitor/Projectors. Now that I'm looking at it, I guess with a projector, you buy a screen that comes down out of the ceiling so that could be option. Still not sure though if I have enough room. I'll look into this option more.
Jenni,
Do you shoot in this space? Our first retail space was about 600sqft.
I had the projector on a shelf behind a couch for a while and then I just put it on a little kitchen cart that roles. When the sales appointment was happening I would role the cart out and plug the laptop into it.
Our wall space was completely used as well. I made a makeshift rolling screen. Allison didnt like it but I thought it GENIUS! It was a large blank canvas I bought at Hobby Lobby and I mounted it on a rolling coat wrack from walmart. I then attached a curtain rod to it and hung curtains on it. Like I said it was not a bad work around. Allison just didnt like having to role out 2 separate things. Eventually we just projected onto the white paper that was mounted on a roll on the wall.
Hope this helped.
I will second projectorsforphotographers.com as well as ProSelect. I really enjoy my selling sessions now and watching people see their images for the first time all huge and stuff!
It is a TV but it is one i could get calibrated.. the printer did it.. I have him come and calibrate everything regularly. Jeff is right, a projector on a cart is a great idea if space is tight. We simply coudln't get one in (no wall (literally) and no ceiling mount (the ideal solution). The TV works fine with proselect but a projector is 'better'. Proselect is a great tool and well worth downloading the trial and the set up time. They even run free online classes so you can learn more about it.
HA!!!!!!!! Jeff's comments truly show just how crafty we can be. Yes, we did make a rolling shelf for the projector out of a microwave rolling cart. Covered with a shower curtain an chain - wow - do we sound ghetto... I promised it didn't look bad. We still use the cart for our printer fax.
I had the projector less than 10ft from the wall - so the space was tight. Projecting onto the wall if fine. In our current studio we projected on to a blank wall for a very very long time.
Do what works for you - just remember - it doesn't have to be the most extravagant thing - it just has to work!
A :)
Depends how much you wan to spend!
Equipment:
Apple 30" monitor
or... Apple 27" iMac
or ... Any 24" widescreen LCD monitor
I don't like projectors because you lose color saturation and good color depth and sharpness. Ideally you want an LCD monitor with a high contrast ratio, large pixel count and good color depth (able to show 24 or 32 bit)
Software:
- Post to Flickr and use their built in slide show app
- Use Cooliris (great photo wall app)
- Vista has a decent photo viewer
- Microsoft Live Photo Gallery may be an option